Introduction

No Excuses

Busting 5 big excuses to starting the creative business of your dreams

The art of becoming an entrepreneur seems to be the latest craze. Everyone’s talking about it, there are a million books written on the subject. Even one of America’s top television networks airs a popular program during Primetime all about entrepreneurship.

But taking in all the books, television shows, blogs, podcasts and more out there for budding entrepreneurs can be overwhelming. I know it has been for me as I’ve been building my independent business.

Depending on what you read or who you listen to, you might have some pretty big ideas set up in your brain about what it takes to get started as an entrepreneur.

It might seem daunting. It might even seem impossible. But you’re not alone in how you feel.

As I’ve taken my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve realized there are at least 5 major road blocks that keep people from actually starting a business.

These five barriers keep you in the “wantrepreneur” category.

They hold you back.

They keep you from your dreams.

And in this guide, I plan to crush them completely. Five big excuses that hold back entrepreneurs are:

I don’t have enough money to start a business.

I don’t have enough time to grow a business

I don’t know how to build the “perfect” business plan

I’m not an expert at anything, so I can’t start a business, and

I don’t have a world-changing idea, so I’ll never build a big business

Each one of these excuses are lies. 100% made-up in your mind, in our society, and in our culture as aspiring entrepreneurs.

This guide is meant to be a starting point, an inspiration for you to take the next step as an entrepreneur. Overcome the fear that holds you back. Take a risk. Reach for something bigger.

I hope that as you read, you’ll realize the biggest barrier to success as an entrepreneur is your own self. You don’t need loads of money, expertise, or revolutionary ideas to be successful in business. And this guide is about to show you why.

Here's what you'll get out of this guide:

This guide is not a complete how-to guide for starting your solo business. It's intended to get your mind in the right place—to help you see that you can do this. Here's what the guide covers:

Part 1: Why you don’t actually need money to start a business

Silicone Valley and Shark Tank have you convinced you need tons of startup capital. The truth is: you don't.

Part 5: Why you don’t need a revolutionary idea to start a business

And that's about it. My hope is that this guide will serve as a springboard to change how you think about solo business—opening doors you never knew existed. Come join the thousands of freelancers and solopreneurs who are building businesses they love. Step #1: crush these 5 excuses.

Let’s jump right in!

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